Business as Usual
by Doctor Fred
Summary: Shortly after ST:TMP, Kirk and Kor fight a short skirmish in disputed space, that may not be exactly what it seems to be.


Business as Usual

By Doctor Fred

_Captain's Log Stardate: 7805.24 U.S.S. Enterprise while on patrol in the Triangle has become the target of an unprovoked attack by a Klingon warship... _

Kirk clicked off the log, details would have to wait. The Klingon ship, apparently a D-7M class Light Battlecruiser, had chosen to open the festivities with a distinctly Klingon trick. A damaged shuttle, obviously Federation, placed along _Enterprise_'s patrol route, which they had naturally attempted to pick up, at this point the shuttle had detonated a sensor bomb that turned the Heavy Cruiser's sensors into so much temporarily scrambled electronics. The fire control scanners, which had been off at the time, were unaffected but the long-range sensors were out. That had allowed the Klingon to get within 100,000 kilometers before being spotted.

"Battle Alert!" Kirk snapped, "All deflectors up, charge forward phasers, energize all phaser banks."

He knew that the Klingon would be able to get in a full strike before Enterprise's phasers could be fired, but they would pay for it later.

"Klingon vessel closing," reported Sulu "range - 70,000 kilometers."

"Captain, I have forward sensors," said Spock, "switching to main screen."  
The main viewer lit up to show the rapidly growing, slightly blurred shape of a Klingon warship.

"Identification?" Kirk asked.

"Computer lists the configuration as an L-20 Fast Battleship." Spock reported.

"Damn." said Kirk quietly, as the image on the screen fired.

* * *

Onboard the battleship _Emperor Keth_, Captain Kor zantai - Marex stared intently at the targeting viewscreen. So far all had gone perfectly; the Federation vessel had stopped for the Shuttle-in-Distress/Sensor-Bomb, the bomb itself had gone off exactly as planned, reducing their sensors to so much trash, and now the Enterprise class heavy cruiser sat before him like a blind targ, just waiting to be blown apart.

"Range - 140,000, closing." reported Helmsman Krex.

"Stand by photon torpedoes, stand by bow disruptors;" ordered Kor, "zan Kepool, ready main disruptors."

"Ready, Honored Captain," reported the gunnery officer.

"Zan Krex, range?"

"97,000."

Kor smiled, so came the end for Captain James Kirk and his G'dyat _Enterprise_.

"Commander!" cried zan Kaz, the first officer, "The Earther has detected us, his shields are coming up!"

"Range?"

"62,000."

"Fire torpedoes! Fire bow disruptors!"

_Emperor Keth_ lurched slightly as two glowing orange torpedoes blasted out of the forward tubes. They sped across the intervening space to slam into the _Enterprise_ 's number one shield. The shield flared red against the enormous energies of the photon torpedoes and then collapsed. At that instant green death shot from the battleship's bow disruptors. The phase disruption beams raked across the Federation starship's primary hull atomizing trititanium alloy as they went. At one point there was an explosion as the number three phaser bank blew out. _Enterprise_ veered sharply to port as the main disruptors fired. The battleship's main salvo missed cleanly but the opening shots had proved critical.

* * *

"Damage reports coming in now, sir," said Lt. Comdr. Uhura.

"Summery?" Kirk asked. Uhura listened carefully to the reports for a moment and then replied.

"Substantial but not critical. Number three phaser bank out. Forward deflector recharged, but deflector coupling is strained, capacity is at 79%. Superstructure damaged on deck 4 sections 29-33 and deck 3 sections 21-27, structural integrity fields compensating. Combat capability - 89%."

Spock's head was bent over his scanners. "She has completed her run and is coming around for another pass, Captain."

With the practice born of long experience Kirk instantly evaluated the tactical situation. The L-20 was a fast and powerful opponent but she had two distinct weaknesses. Her main batteries were short-ranged and they were energy hogs. If he could keep out of their range, or keep the engagement's speed high enough to limit her energy reserves, he could neutralize them. That would reduce the Klingon's firepower by 40%. Quickly completing his battle plan Kirk barked out his orders.

"Mr. Sulu, bring us about to 335 mark 29, warp three, but stand by to come around again on my command. Mr. Chekov, arm photon torpedoes for tight spread pattern, lock phaser banks two and five into the same pattern. Then you may arm rearward phasers and fire at will."

"Opening fire, Keptin," said Chekov as the young lieutenant keyed the firing buttons and the number nine phaser bank fired, the twin beams impacting the _Emperor Keth_ 's number one shield. The heavy deflector flared briefly as it absorbed the phaser strike. Beams of incandescent green arced across from the Keth to spatter against the _Enterprise_'s reinforced rear shield but failed to penetrate.

"Give her, her head, Mr. Sulu," Kirk ordered "warp six!"

The _Enterprise_ leapt forward to the tremendous acceleration of the fourth generation warp drive.

* * *

"Lord Commander, the Earther flees!" cried zan Krex.

"Do you think me blind, Krex? I can see this for myself, fool!" Kor shot back. "Pursue, warp 6.4."

"Pursuing, Captain." Krex replied shrinking back in his chair.

Captain Kor glared at him for a moment, then turned away in disgust. He was angry with that khest'n fool Kepool for having missed with the main batteries. Now the opportunity for a swift, clean kill was gone. Not that Kirk could escape, the site for the ambush had been carefully chosen. _Enterprise_ was cut off from Federation space by the _Emperor Keth_, and all other directions would lead toward either Imperial or Romulan space. There was no place Kirk could run where he would be safe.

"Zan Kepool, open fire with the bow Disruptors..."

"Yes, Honored Captain."

"...and Kepool, this time try to hit something smaller than a gas giant!"

* * *

"Klingon vessel is pursuing at warp 6.4." Spock reported "Incoming fire - disruptors. Impact in 3 seconds 2... 1... impact."

_Keth_ 's disruptor strike slammed into the rear shield transmitting a shockwave throughout the _Enterprise_ as the ship's defenses intercepted the deadly energies and turned them away.

"Are you ready, Mr. Sulu?" Kirk asked his helmsman.

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Range to the Klingon, Mr. Spock?"

"125,000 kilometers and closing, Captain."

"Zan Krex, increase speed to warp 6.5," ordered Kor "Zan Kepool... arm the mines and prepare for an overrun pass. Continue firing with bow Disruptors."

Both officers acknowledged the new orders and Kor leaned forward in his command chair to stare at the shape of the fleeing _Enterprise_ on the main viewer. This did not make sense, Kirk must know that he was headed straight into Imperial space, but still he flees. Why?

* * *

"Klingon vessel is now at warp 6.5," Spock reported, "Range - 70,000 kilometers."

"Now, Sulu, hard starboard!" ordered Kirk. Sulu's hands danced over the controls and _Enterprise_ veered 70 degrees to the right of her previous heading.

"Pivot!" snapped Kirk. The heavy cruiser came around 180 degrees, flying backwards with forward firing weapons tracking across her original line of flight, the same line of flight that the _Emperor Keth_ was following right now.

"Range?" called Captain Kirk.

"51,000 kilometers and closing rapidly." answered Spock.

"Mr. Chekov!" Kirk cried.

"Firing, Keptin!" the Russian answered as he keyed the studs. Phasers stabbed electric blue out of the banks, the beams lancing through the _Keth_'s number two shield. The shield exploded blue fire and snapped out of existence. Then two heavy photon torpedoes blasted out of the dorsal tubes and detonated 50 meters from the L-20's main hull, shattering hull plates, and blowing gaping holes into her superstructure. The port and starboard phasers fired, slicing into the _Keth_'s starboard engine nacelle. Electric fire crackled about the engine as the main disruptors mounted on it blew out.

"Pursue, Mr. Sulu. Mr. Chekov, maintain fire."

As the _Enterprise_ picked up speed to follow the _Emperor Keth_, Lt. Chekov maintained a steady stream of phaser and torpedo fire, forcing the Klingon warship to engage in violently complex evasive maneuvers to avoid the deadly barrage.

* * *

Through a haze of smoke from burnt connections and destroyed circuitry Kaz reported the damaged sustained to his Captain.

"Starboard engine - heavily damaged, starboard side main Disruptors - out. Impulse engine - damaged: 71% power available. Major hull damage to sections 17 - 24, and 28 - 36. Batteries in main hull exploded - leaking gas is causing crew casualties. Fire control - damaged but operational. Main hull auxiliary bridge - heavily damaged. Transporters 3, 4, 7, and 12 inoperative, as is the assault shuttle bay."

"Warp power available?" Kor demanded.

"Unknown. At least 50%. Communications with aft section are temporarily out." answered Kaz "Combat capability - 61%."

"Lt. Krex, status?"

"Maintaining evasive, Captain. The Earther continues to follow. Range - 93,000 constant."

"Zan Kepool, target their dorsal. I want a precision strike with all rearward armaments ... and Kepool miss this time and you will not get out of the booth until you are very old, and very gray!"

"Yes, Honored Captain."

Kor studied the main viewer. So the hunter had become the hunted. Well he would show James khest'n Kirk that Kor zantai - Marex was easy prey for no one. Not for a Klingon and certainly not for an Earther.

"Ready, Captain." Kepool reported.

"You will fire the torpedo first, then, when he turns to evade, fire the disruptors. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." said Kepool as he bent over his targeting scanner.

"Very well... Fire!"

* * *

"Incoming fire," reported Spock, "photon torpedo. Impact in 2 seconds."

"Evasive." ordered Kirk.

_Enterprise_ veered 3 degrees to port to avoid the Klingon torpedo when lambent green lanced out from the _Keth_'s rear disruptors. The glittering beams arced across the intervening space to rip into the heavy cruiser's number one shield. The shield burned white as the disruptors pierced through a weak spot left by the engagement's initial salvo, to blast their way, not into the hoped for dorsal that connected the primary and secondary hulls, but, into the big main navigational deflector dish that made up the front of the secondary hull. Electric discharge formed a miniature aurora around it as the dish shorted out.

* * *

"Earther vessel slowing," reported Krex. "He is down to warp 4 and almost out of sensor range."

"Good. Lay in course for Klinzhai direct, warp 5 until battle damage is repaired, then warp 7," ordered Kor, "and Kepool... you missed again, didn't you?"

"Y-yes, Captain."

Kor watched as the gunner sweated, knowing what was coming next, or did he?

"But on the other hand you did damage the _Enterprise_ enough to stop her pursuit ... I do not think the booth will be necessary, this time. However, you will spend half of your off-watch time for the next four months at gunnery practice! Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Captain!" shouted Kepool cheerfully, four months of extra duty was nothing compared to booth-time.

Kor turned back to the main viewer. He did not get the pleasure of blowing the _Enterprise_ to pieces, but the information that the _Emperor Keth_'s sensors had gained about the Federation's new heavy cruisers was all he had really needed. James Kirk could wait, for now.

At the other end of the bridge he heard Krex and Kepool talking in low whispers, most likely about Kepool's narrow escape from booth-time. Kor did not mind, after all, the agonizer booth would still be there ... the next time.

* * *

"Mr. Scott estimates full repairs will be completed in 14 hours."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock." Kirk said. The Captain turned to McCoy as he came out the port turbolift. The Doctor was scowling fiercely at the moment. Kirk assumed a stone-faced expression as he made himself face what he knew was coming after an engagement.

"Well, Bones, what's the butcher's bill?" It was an old expression, dating back through hundreds of years of naval service. But even after all this time there still wasn't a better one.

"Not as bad as it could have been. But I've got 37 wounded in my Sick Bay after this mess. On the other hand, they should all recover, and nobody died," he replied before letting his expression relax a bit. "So I guess that's one for our side. But what the hell was this, Jim?" Kirk thought for a moment before replying with a frown.

"The Klingons attacked in disputed space - the testing of borders, and border defenses. I'm afraid it was just a skirmish, Bones, nothing special. Just … business as usual on the Klingon frontier."

END


End file.
